[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices
Well I can't blame you from a business perspective, I'd do the same. I guess most people here, including me, would be concerned that larger company attitudes and needs to satisfy shareholders will result in cost-cutting to equipment we've grown to know and love. This applies most directly I would say to the Transporter, where a great deal of the appeal lies in the concept of high-engineering ideals and selective component control. Will it now start to be built in the Far East and standards drop? I suppose the burning question for me is "how independant will the Slim design process be?" Logitech are a fine company, I just wouldn't buy high end audio from them. -- CardinalFang You're only young once, but you can be immature forever... CardinalFang's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=962 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices
Congrats, Slimdevices employees. I can only hope this acquisition made your day, year, lifetime. Personally, my heart sinks on this news. I'll adopt a wait-and-see on the "Logitech embraces open-source model". Corporations have a great way of killing statements like that. deep, heavy, sigh, #!/ben -- bklaas "the Nokia770 skin guy" bklaas's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=58 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
CardinalFang;147404 Wrote: > Well I can't blame you from a business perspective, I'd do the same. I > guess most people here, including me, would be concerned that larger > company attitudes and needs to satisfy shareholders will result in > cost-cutting to equipment we've grown to know and love. > > This applies most directly I would say to the Transporter, where a > great deal of the appeal lies in the concept of high-engineering ideals > and selective component control. Will it now start to be built in the > Far East and standards drop? > > I suppose the burning question for me is "how independant will the Slim > design process be?" Logitech are a fine company, I just wouldn't buy > high end audio from them. Let me introduce myself. My name is Junien Labrousse, Logitech SVP of the Entertainment and Communication Business Unit. The first thing I'll say is that we are very excited about the opportunity that Slim Devices will bring to Logitech. This is a great extension of our current business. Let me assure you that one of the main reasons for this acquisition is the development capabilities of the Slim Devices team. The technical level of this group is a key asset that we fully intend to leverage. The Slim Devices entity will function independently, keeping the spirit of advance audio technology and strong product innovation. Logitech will bring its global distribution and marketing capabilities, providing a jump start to a large visibility and adoption of Slim Devices products. Junien -- junien junien's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=8044 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
CardinalFang;147404 Wrote: > This applies most directly I would say to the Transporter, where a great > deal of the appeal lies in the concept of high-engineering ideals and > selective component control. Will it now start to be built in the Far > East and standards drop? We actually do much of our higher complexity manufacturing in Asia already, while final assembly, quality control, and kitting take place in Mountain View. That won't change immediately, but as we grow we will take advantage of Logitech's manufacturing capabilities. Transporter is selling well, and while it certainly carries a higher price point than other Logitech products, it fits quite well with their recent trend towards higher-end AV products - for example, the Harmony 1000. -- seanadams seanadams's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=3 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Hi Junien - Perhaps you could also give the Logitech take on the open source approach? Most folks around these parts (myself included) believe that it's a major strength of the Slim Devices portfolio, and at this time could be concerned about the direction Logitech may take. Thanks Chippy -- Chippy Chippy's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=247 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
junien;147410 Wrote: > Logitech will bring its global distribution and marketing capabilities, > providing a jump start to a large visibility and adoption of Slim > Devices products.Junien In that case, I would guess that in order to match the higher profile and wider consumer appeal that you would want to acquire, products like SlimServer have to break out of the more tech-led user base it has so far and develop a more consumer-friendly look and feel? Open source development is unlikely to provide that as it tends to build products that match the community's requirements, not the mass market's. You are also less likely to get support from that community now that it is to generate returns for anomymous major shareholders and not company founders. I would assume therefore that more in-house design and productisation is required - that would be the route I'd take. I'd actually like to see the server software get more consumer friendly, I'd feel more comfortable recommending it to friends. I wouldn't contribute freely to that myself though - Logitech are a rich company... -- CardinalFang You're only young once, but you can be immature forever... CardinalFang's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=962 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
seanadams;147420 Wrote: > We actually do much of our higher complexity manufacturing in Asia > already, while final assembly, quality control, and kitting take place > in Mountain View. That won't change immediately, but as we grow we will > take advantage of Logitech's manufacturing capabilities. Oh, so the price will come down :-) Damn, I'm a cynical b*sta*d. -- CardinalFang You're only young once, but you can be immature forever... CardinalFang's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=962 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
I can't blame you for doing this, but i too am very worried. So please now please dispense with the vague PR speak, and please be as up front and honest as you can - how is this actually going to work? 1) Will Logitech just own the company, with Slim Devices operating as a separate entity? Or will the Slim Devices brand name be phased out and the next model (SB4?) with a 'Logitech' device? i fear the latter. In fact it pretty obvious really, in the long term anyway 2) Will Logitech leaving the Slim Devices team alone to carry on their great work? After all, Logitech effort in this sector have been less than amazing. Much Logitech software is a dog in my experience. The setpoint crap was terrible last time i used it. Will Slim Server remain open source? Be honest now, I Fear not in the long term. Please don’t lose sight of what made Slimserver so popular and won so many people over. I hope this is a positive move for us consumers. I am sure it will be one for SD and Logitech (financially anyway). But the ethos of both companies is so different … Logitech = Mass market, bang ‘em out. Dumbed down and closed systems Slim Devices = Consumer centric, “it’s ready when it’s ready” listening to the customer and responding in a personal way, open source. The response I got when I mouse was faulty was a totally different experience to what I got when my SB3 screen failed. Are they REALLY compatible in their current forms? Again, I doubt it. Let not forget the edgy ‘cool’ factor that the Slim Devices products have. I’m sorry, but Logitech just don’t have that, no matter how hard you pretend I will always associate Logitech with low end PC speaker systems and horrible keyboards. Just assimilating Slim Devices could be a disaster for the SB and it’s fans. This could be so right for Slim Devices, more money could mean even better products. But Logitech is a large corp and I fear they just want a cash cow like every other large corp. Sorry for being so negative, but we have seen this before, no matter how chipper the PR releases are. -- autopilot *SlimServer Version:* 6.5 - Windows XP. *Amp:* Cambridge Audio 640a (living room) / Denon MD30 (bedroom). *Speakers:* Mission 701's (living room) / Kef Cresta 1's (bedroom). *Remote:* T-Mobile MDA Vario / Sony PSP / Cambridge Audio Explorer (IR). *Clients:* 1 Squeezebox3 + Softsqueeze. autopilot's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=1763 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Chippy;147422 Wrote: > Hi Junien - > Perhaps you could also give the Logitech take on the open source > approach? Most folks around these parts (myself included) believe that > it's a major strength of the Slim Devices portfolio, and at this time > could be concerned about the direction Logitech may take. > > Thanks > Chippy Chippy, Thanks for asking this. Logitech is not new to development communities. We have successfully managed one for our gaming products, with many fans and loyal contributors. We know that it's people like you that can bring innovation, support and credibility to advanced products. Slim Devices open source approach is indeed a critical component of the products' features and success. We are fully committed to keep and nurture it. Junien -- junien junien's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=8044 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Logitech makes speakers? I did not know that. Maybe they will purchase Magnepan next. Ok - that was a cheap shot. I hope the "high-end" 'tude of the Slime Devices product line is not going to be lost in the hail of boom-boxes at Fry's Electronics. -Ron -- Ron F. Ron F.'s Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=5616 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
seanadams;147420 Wrote: > Transporter...fits quite well with their recent trend towards higher-end > AV products - for example, the Harmony 1000. Please say that the Harmony 1000 touch screen will incorporate album views and music selection from SS; or, link up TP with the DJ-style remote!!! -- MeridianMan MeridianMan's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2894 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Here in Europe, Logitech is best known for their mouses (OK, the best so far), trackball and other products like PC speakers, MP3 accessories, etc. All but high end audio ! So, how can a truly audiophile product like the Transporter be matching with such a company !? I've just adviced the Transporter to a big french audiophile forum. What can i say now this product is distributed by Logitech ! Hmmm, i feel some disappointment in the air... I hope your Transporter will not be, as we say in french, "le chant du cygne"... Sigh... -- Chander Chander's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=3691 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Let's be fair to Sean, Slim, and Logitech. It seems premature to complain at this stage. Clarion's aquisition of McIntosh didn't wreck their product line, after all. I'm willing to keep an open mind. If bad things start to happen, then I'll complain. -- Cleve McIntosh MX-132 preamp/tuner McIntosh MC2205 amplifier McIntosh MC7100 amplifier McIntosh MAC4100 receiver Klipsch CF-4 speakers (front and center) Klipsch CF-3 speakers (surrounds) Denon DR-M3 Cassette Deck Cleve's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2048 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
CardinalFang;147427 Wrote: > In that case, I would guess that in order to match the higher profile > and wider consumer appeal that you would want to acquire, products like > SlimServer have to break out of the more tech-led user base it has so > far and develop a more consumer-friendly look and feel? > > Open source development is unlikely to provide that as it tends to > build products that match the community's requirements, not the mass > market's. You are also less likely to get support from that community > now that it is to generate returns for anomymous major shareholders and > not company founders. I would assume therefore that more in-house design > and productisation is required - that would be the route I'd take. > > I'd actually like to see the server software get more consumer > friendly, I'd feel more comfortable recommending it to friends. I > wouldn't contribute freely to that myself though - Logitech are a rich > company... Actually I am not sure I see a dicotomy between tech-led development and user-friendliness. In fact I was personally impressed about the ease of installation and of use of my Squeeze Box. The user interface of the Slim Server could probably become more consumer oriented. Yet this is not a priority. We are much more interested in extending the current technology to new hardware products and new markets. I also hope that the open source community will continue to be motivated by making the products stronger and more versatile. Junien. -- junien junien's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=8044 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
When i saw this thread i had to make sure it wasn't April 1st. Well done to Sean and the rest of the SlimDevices guys. Logitech are going to work hard to maintain the extremely loyal following of many of the contributors on these forums. -- funkstar funkstar's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2335 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
junien;147431 Wrote: > Chippy, > > Thanks for asking this. Logitech is not new to development communities. > We have successfully managed one for our gaming products, with many fans > and loyal contributors. We know that it's people like you that can bring > innovation, support and credibility to advanced products. Slim Devices > open source approach is indeed a critical component of the products' > features and success. We are fully committed to keep and nurture it. > > Junien Thats good news. -- autopilot *SlimServer Version:* 6.5 - Windows XP. *Amp:* Cambridge Audio 640a (living room) / Denon MD30 (bedroom). *Speakers:* Mission 701's (living room) / Kef Cresta 1's (bedroom). *Remote:* T-Mobile MDA Vario / Sony PSP / Cambridge Audio Explorer (IR). *Clients:* 1 Squeezebox3 + Softsqueeze. autopilot's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=1763 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
And the biggest Avatar already has... ;) Well i don´t see a problem in general but can´t imagine going to my fellow telling him: "Hey, i heard a Logitech audiobox that sounds better than your Naim" I bet he will recommend me the best doctor he knows :) -- Wombat Wombat's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=4113 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
My immediate thoughts are to the purchase of Harmony by Logitech a while ago. When I bought my first Harmony remote they were a small company making innovative products which worked really well but which could have used better industrial design, packaging and marketing. They even had a kind of open-source aspect in that the DB of IR codes were user submitted. I was pretty bummed when I heard they were bought by Logitech, but the net outcome has been fairly positive. The products look a _lot_ slicker, work generally just as well as before, and they're a lot easier to get hold of now. I would say support has gone downhill, and I too dislike any Logitech-supplied software I've ever used (SetPoint - ugh!), but I'm still buying the remotes :) IMHO Slim don't need help in the design department, but having Logitech's marketing group behind them won't hurt. I am a little concerned about support and general QC (my Harmony 880 STILL won't charge properly because of a faulty cradle, and support are pretty horrible to deal with) but we'll see. My major concern is that the desire for people to pitch in and help with the software will dry up as Logitech can surely afford to hire as many devs as they need and everyone knows it. Slimserver wouldn't be what it is now if it were a purely in-house product. But again, if Logitech can find some way of keeping the small club feeling whilst expanding the user base 10x, then maybe it'll all be OK. I can say one thing though - any fancy schmancy remote they make better work with my Transporter! -- radish radish's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=77 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
So I bought a Harmony remote and Logitech bought Harmony. Then I buy a Slim Devices SB and Logitech buy SD. OK, I'm gonna buy a wood chipper this weekend - let's see Logitech buy Yard Machines. Steve. -- SteveEast SteveEast's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=4193 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
//I can't blame you for doing this, but i too am very worried. When we first started down this road, I was worried too! However, Logitech has an extremely good track record with the very few acquisitions that they've done. I've been very impressed by the fact that those companies have not only prospered, but maintained their personality, their autonomy, and their key people. // So please now please dispense with the vague PR speak, and please be as up front and honest as you can - how is this actually going to work? 1) Will Logitech just own the company, with Slim Devices operating as a separate entity? Slim Devices will become a wholly-owned subsidiary. //Or will the Slim Devices brand name be phased out and the next model (SB4?) with a 'Logitech' device? i fear the latter. In fact it pretty obvious really, in the long term anyway We haven't nailed down all the naming specifics yet. However, Logitech's brand is of enormous value to us, and it will appear on our products as we get into their channels. //2) Will Logitech leaving the Slim Devices team alone to carry on their great work? After all, Logitech effort in this sector have been less than amazing. Much Logitech software is a dog in my experience. The setpoint crap was terrible last time i used it. I would say that their hardware strengths complement our software capabilities. The plan is to combine only the best aspects of both companies. //Will Slim Server remain open source? Be honest now, I Fear not in the long term. Please dont lose sight of what made Slimserver so popular and won so many people over. Absolutely. And furthermore, we will continue to lead its development. // I hope this is a positive move for us consumers. I am sure it will be one for SD and Logitech (financially anyway). But the ethos of both companies is so different Logitech = Mass market, bang em out. Dumbed down and closed systems Slim Devices = Consumer centric, its ready when its ready listening to the customer and responding in a personal way, open source. We're actually not all _that_ different, but again this is a point where we will complement each other, not a conflict. // The response I got when I mouse was faulty was a totally different experience to what I got when my SB3 screen failed. Are they REALLY compatible in their current forms? Again, I doubt it. Tech support will by handled by our team, as it is a completely different animal than supporting a single-function device such a mouse. //Let not forget the edgy cool factor that the Slim Devices products have. Im sorry, but Logitech just dont have that, no matter how hard you pretend I will always associate Logitech with low end PC speaker systems and horrible keyboards. Just assimilating Slim Devices could be a disaster for the SB and its fans. Hmmm... personally I have been very happy with their keybaords and mice for many years. I don't know if your position is widely held, but you are cetainly entitled to it. //This could be so right for Slim Devices, more money could mean even better products. But Logitech is a large corp and I fear they just want a cash cow like every other large corp. I think their track record with previous acquisitions demonstrates that they know how to invest appropriately to grow new divisions quickly. We are really looking forward to being able to expand our engineering team. //Sorry for being so negative, but we have seen this before, no matter how chipper the PR releases are. It's quite alright. You've made some great points, and they are concerns that we all raised very early in our discussions with Logitech. Personally, I am feeling very good about this, but I've had a lot longer to get to know their people. -- seanadams seanadams's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=3 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
SteveEast;147456 Wrote: > So I bought a Harmony remote and Logitech bought Harmony. Then I buy a > Slim Devices SB and Logitech buy SD. OK, I'm gonna buy a wood chipper > this weekend - let's see Logitech buy Yard Machines. ...and it would fit nicely into the product line, rebranded as a floppy, paper, disk shredder. -- MrC MrC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=468 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Wombat;147450 Wrote: > And the biggest Avatar already has... ;) > > Well i don´t see a problem in general but can´t imagine going to my > fellow telling him: "Hey, i heard a Logitech audiobox that sounds > better than your Naim" > I bet he will recommend me the best doctor he knows :) Indeed, does Logitech do niche products? And how are you going to get the audiophilie community, that you are after with the transporter, to get over the 'Logitech' name? Can the logitech brand become synonymous with high/quality end audio/HiFi kit? I hope you can, but it will be a very steep climb indeed. -- autopilot *SlimServer Version:* 6.5 - Windows XP. *Amp:* Cambridge Audio 640a (living room) / Denon MD30 (bedroom). *Speakers:* Mission 701's (living room) / Kef Cresta 1's (bedroom). *Remote:* T-Mobile MDA Vario / Sony PSP / Cambridge Audio Explorer (IR). *Clients:* 1 Squeezebox3 + Softsqueeze. autopilot's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=1763 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
junien;147441 Wrote: > Actually I am not sure I see a dicotomy between tech-led development and > user-friendliness. Junien, thanks for saying what I couldn't tactfully. That goes a long way into easing my fears. Open-source can absolutely work for the mass-market, and already has. Firefox is probably the type example of that. #!/ben -- bklaas "the Nokia770 skin guy" bklaas's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=58 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
seanadams;147461 Wrote: > //I can't blame you for doing this, but i too am very worried. > > When we first started down this road, I was worried too! However, > Logitech has an extremely good track record with the very few > acquisitions that they've done. I've been very impressed by the fact > that those companies have not only prospered, but maintained their > personality, their autonomy, and their key people. > > // So please now please dispense with the vague PR speak, and please be > as up front and honest as you can - how is this actually going to work? > 1) Will Logitech just own the company, with Slim Devices operating as a > separate entity? > > Slim Devices will become a wholly-owned subsidiary. > > //Or will the Slim Devices brand name be phased out and the next model > (SB4?) with a 'Logitech' device? i fear the latter. In fact it pretty > obvious really, in the long term anyway > > We haven't nailed down all the naming specifics yet. However, > Logitech's brand is of enormous value to us, and it will appear on our > products as we get into their channels. > > //2) Will Logitech leaving the Slim Devices team alone to carry on > their great work? After all, Logitech effort in this sector have been > less than amazing. Much Logitech software is a dog in my experience. > The setpoint crap was terrible last time i used it. > > I would say that their hardware strengths complement our software > capabilities. The plan is to combine only the best aspects of both > companies. > > //Will Slim Server remain open source? Be honest now, I Fear not in the > long term. Please dont lose sight of what made Slimserver so popular > and won so many people over. > > Absolutely. And furthermore, we will continue to lead its development. > > // I hope this is a positive move for us consumers. I am sure it will > be one for SD and Logitech (financially anyway). But the ethos of both > companies is so different Logitech = Mass market, bang em out. > Dumbed down and closed systems Slim Devices = Consumer centric, its > ready when its ready listening to the customer and responding in a > personal way, open source. > > We're actually not all _that_ different, but again this is a point > where we will complement each other, not a conflict. > > // The response I got when I mouse was faulty was a totally different > experience to what I got when my SB3 screen failed. Are they REALLY > compatible in their current forms? Again, I doubt it. > > Tech support will by handled by our team, as it is a completely > different animal than supporting a single-function device such a > mouse. > > //Let not forget the edgy cool factor that the Slim Devices products > have. Im sorry, but Logitech just dont have that, no matter how hard > you pretend I will always associate Logitech with low end PC speaker > systems and horrible keyboards. Just assimilating Slim Devices could be > a disaster for the SB and its fans. > > Hmmm... personally I have been very happy with their keybaords and mice > for many years. I don't know if your position is widely held, but you > are cetainly entitled to it. > > //This could be so right for Slim Devices, more money could mean > even better products. But Logitech is a large corp and I fear they just > want a cash cow like every other large corp. > > I think their track record with previous acquisitions demonstrates that > they know how to invest appropriately to grow new divisions quickly. We > are really looking forward to being able to expand our engineering > team. > > //Sorry for being so negative, but we have seen this before, no matter > how chipper the PR releases are. It's quite alright. You've made some great points, and they are concerns that we all raised very early in our discussions with Logitech. Personally, I am feeling very good about this, but I've had a lot longer to get to know their people. Thank you Sean, i very much appreciate you taking time in responding to my points. I was only worried about the product i like so much. This has helped. I'm not totally convinced, but time will tell. Just don't let those corporate monkeys ever push you around and continue making products as good as the SB range and Tranporter! Good luck to you Sean. -- autopilot *SlimServer Version:* 6.5 - Windows XP. *Amp:* Cambridge Audio 640a (living room) / Denon MD30 (bedroom). *Speakers:* Mission 701's (living room) / Kef Cresta 1's (bedroom). *Remote:* T-Mobile MDA Vario / Sony PSP / Cambridge Audio Explorer (IR). *Clients:* 1 Squeezebox3 + Softsqueeze. autopilot's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=1763 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
autopilot;147462 Wrote: > Indeed, does Logitech do niche products? And how are you going to get > the audiophilie community, that you are after with the transporter, to > get over the 'Logitech' name? Can the logitech brand become synonymous > with high/quality end audio/HiFi kit? I hope you can, but it will be a > very steep climb indeed. We just introduced Harmony 1000, a high end, touch screen remote control. Would you consider a $500 remote control a niche product? Our overall strategy is to become more prominent in the living room. Transporter gives us an opportunity to test new price points. This has been the trend for Logitech in the past few years. Junien -- junien junien's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=8044 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
autopilot;147462 Wrote: > Indeed, does Logitech do niche products? And how are you going to get > the audiophilie community, that you are after with the transporter, to > get over the 'Logitech' name? Can the logitech brand become synonymous > with high/quality end audio/HiFi kit? I hope you can, but it will be a > very steep climb indeed. The Transporter is their first, and only, very high-end audiophile, niche product. Depending on how things work out, it could be that Slim Devices may not be able to introduce new products to this market - they may no longer have the "credentials" for this. I hope what Junien just posted is right, but audiophiles are a finnicky and fickle bunch. But what really pays the bills is the Squeezebox, aimed at the up-market consumer. Slim Devices may have been kind of caught here in terms of growth - they just did not have any retail presence. Where could they have gone from here? We heard calls for taking the Squeezebox to the consumer - how could that have happened otherwise? This now completely eliminates that concern and will allow Slim to expand its product line for things users have been asking for - the Squeezebox boombox, the Squeezebox clock radio, perhaps even the Squeezebox portable player? The sky is kind of the limit now. They will have the financing and the marketing ability. The Squeezebox was not really a consumer item. Now, suddenly, it is. There was one mention about Apple DRM. Support for this has gotten much closer - I'm sure Apple would never have worked with Slim Devices but they might work with Logitech. Also they can solidly trounce Roku, as if they haven't already. :-) -- Mark Lanctot Mark Lanctot's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2071 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
I think this could be a good thing, the Harmony 1000 plus Squeezebox could well give the Squeezebox the edge over the Sonos -- audiofi http://www.audiofi.co.uk/reviews/ audiofi's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=726 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Hooray for Slim. I hope the goodness that has befallen you extends to us that bought your product. I've been using logitech mouses (mice?) for years ... I'm a trackball snob ... and have largely been impressed with the quality of thier hardware. Where I've never been impressed is with the quality of thier software. I am in the camp that believes that SlimServer is in need of some major help in the UI and performance department. Hopefully Logitech will be able to bring some resources to bear and get the Server whipped into shape ... just as long as they keep thier in-house developers *far* away from the project. -- jeffluckett jeffluckett's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=6179 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Is this acquisition official yet? I looked up the press releases for LOGI and didn't see anything. -- ezkcdude DIY projects page: http://www.ezdiyaudio.com System: SB3->EZDAC->MIT Terminator 2 interconnects->Endler Audio 24-step Attenuators (RCA-direct)->Parasound Halo A23 125W/ch amplifier->Speltz anti-cables->DIY 2-ways + Dayton Titanic 10" subwoofer He's not hi-fi, he's my stereo. ezkcdude's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2545 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
ezkcdude;147484 Wrote: > Is this acquisition official yet? I looked up the press releases for > LOGI and didn't see anything. Their press release has not gone out yet, but I wanted us to announce it here first. -- seanadams seanadams's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=3 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Well my thoughts have changed from when this thread was first started. My first reaction was "oh no!" (In fact I said that out loud.) But yes, we should give this some time before jumping to conclusions. There are hopeful indications - Logitech's last acquisition was of Harmony, and Harmony remotes are overwhelmingly recommended: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28639 Harmony still seems to be putting out good products and retaining their independence. And I saw one in a Staples (Office Depot) the other day! My concerns are as others have stated: - I hope hardware quality doesn't decline as components are selected for cost rather than performance. - I hope the open-source aspect is retained. We have seen promises that this will be so. - While things could be made more consumer-friendly, I hope that it doesn't get too dumbed-down. - I hope that Logitech realizes what brought Slim to where it is today, namely community involvement. - I hope that Slim Devices, a division of Logitech, still cares for their customers. I'm not only talking in terms of support, I'm also talking about respecting our freedoms to use whatever OS we please, to customize SlimServer as we see fit, to meet our needs in terms of audio formats supported, etc. It seemed that Slim Devices bent over backwards for its users. This would be a terrible thing to lose. Many companies' software forces the user to adapt to their way of doing things, and if you don't like it, tough! SlimServer instead tries to be as accommodating as possible to the idiosynchracies of the user. Sure, it isn't perfect, but what is? Let's give it time. Hopefully this thread can be retained so we can hold Junien and Sean Adams to their promises. :-) -- Mark Lanctot Mark Lanctot's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2071 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Maybe this means that, when the new "Logitech" software is officially released, it might actually be usable. That'd be my hope. The offical release of 6.5.0 was just plain horrible, even worse than a Logitech or Microsoft 1.0 release. Hours-long database rebuild? Check. Tons of inexplicable "No Artist/No Album" entries? Check. Crashing promptly and repeatedly? Check. I mean, COME ON. Hopefully Logitech can impart some QA methodology to the software side of the house. When your hardware is "slim", the software had better be bullet-proof... -- Mister-E Mister-E's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=1680 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
My first thought when I saw the title was, "it's April 1st again?" But, it sounds much better than that. Just keep the quality up (or at least offer a product with the quality that previous Slim Devices products have) and I'll be just fine. Definitely talk about the Harmony remotes working even better with Slim a la Sonos. At least I can say I was a customer from "way back" (one year ago). -- mrfantasy --Mike mrfantasy's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=1127 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
seanadams;147461 Wrote: > However, Logitech's brand is of enormous value to us I can see that for the Squeezebox, but not at all for the Transporter. Big mass-market companies sold at Best Buy in colorful boxes have zero high-end audiophile cred. Maybe use the Logitech name for the Squeezebox (which'll probably have to be significantly de-awesomed sound-quality-wise to hit a more consumer-friendly $199 price point), and Slim Devices for the Transporter? Also: Will you continue to sell directly from your Web site? Because it doesn't seem like Logitech has the kind of distribution outlets that'd be able to sell a $2000 music streamer... -- mkozlows mkozlows's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=62 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
ezkcdude;147484 Wrote: > Is this acquisition official yet? I looked up the press releases for > LOGI and didn't see anything. seanadams;147400 Wrote: > I am pleased to announce that Logitech is acquiring Slim Devices, and I > am glad to have the opportunity to share the news here in our forum > before the official press release goes out. Obligatory text for forum software. Actually I'm still waiting for the press release from Slim Devices regarding the Ruckus Wireless partnership. -- Mark Lanctot Mark Lanctot's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2071 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
mkozlows;147493 Wrote: > Maybe use the Logitech name for the Squeezebox (which'll probably have > to be significantly de-awesomed sound-quality-wise to hit a more > consumer-friendly $199 price point), and Slim Devices for the > Transporter? Hopefully that market is for products like the Logitech Wireless DJ. I view the Squeezebox as an "upscale" consumer product, and hopefully Logitech does too. I think they do, they seem to have realized that Harmony remotes aren't $29 Radio Shack specials. The Squeezebox is for someone who wants more than what the cheapest device on the market will provide. Someone who's willing to pay for quality. -- Mark Lanctot Mark Lanctot's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2071 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
mkozlows;147493 Wrote: > > Also: Will you continue to sell directly from your Web site? Because > it doesn't seem like Logitech has the kind of distribution outlets > that'd be able to sell a $2000 music streamer... That won't change any time soon. We will continue to sell online, and will expand that over time. Logitech actually is already entering a good number of A/V-only dealers for their remotes. -- seanadams seanadams's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=3 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
jeffluckett;147482 Wrote: > I am in the camp that believes that SlimServer is in need of some major > help in the UI... Well, you said that much more diplomatically than I would have. I reported a web UI bug back in the 6.5 beta that made it unusable for me. The fix got pushed back to 6.5.1, then to 7.0. I've tried out every skin extensively on a laptop with a small display. Most of the skins have a problem on a small laptop when you enlarge the font in the browser to make the text easily readable. The controls in some of the skins don't resize with the text, making the text they contain unreadable. Other times, fixed-size UI elements partly cover up the controls when the text is enlarged. The least buggy skin I've found so far is Fishbone, but even it has a UI panel that partly covers up the main combo box used for navigation after enlarging the fonts. This is all stuff that can easily be found with even the most casual testing. And this refers to 6.3.1. From what I've seen, 6.5 is even buggier still. UI elements that used to behave well by virtue of being in an HTML table now show overlapping text in the dark skin when resizing the browser window. I could go on, but after having wasted time in bug reporting when the fixes get pushed back to an unacceptable point in the future, I've had it. -- andy_c andy_c's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=3128 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Mark Lanctot;147497 Wrote: > Hopefully that market is for products like the Logitech Wireless DJ. > > I view the Squeezebox as an "upscale" consumer product, and hopefully > Logitech does too. I think they do, they seem to have realized that > Harmony remotes aren't $29 Radio Shack specials. The Squeezebox is for > someone who wants more than what the cheapest device on the market will > provide. Someone who's willing to pay for quality. Exactly what our position is. The Squeezebox is complementary to Wireless DJ. DJ is for people who don't have a network or don't wnat to mess with it. It only allows streaming from the PC (and some more limited capabilities). SB is for more serious music lovers, more comfortable with their network, offering of wider set of features and functionality. In both cases the products are for people who are looking for an advanced music experience with no compromise on quality. The price points of the devices as well as the way they are positioned in the market show the differences with typical, undifferentiated media adapters, positioned as an infrastructure play. Junien -- junien junien's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=8044 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Junien, how long before we see a DJ-type remote for the Squeezebox? -- Kyle Kyle's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2541 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Kyle;147517 Wrote: > Junien, how long before we see a DJ-type remote for the Squeezebox? Well... we are just starting the integration. Our main focus will be on jumpstarting sales at retail. Product roadmaps and developments will take a while :-) Junien -- junien junien's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=8044 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
junien;147515 Wrote: > Exactly what our position is. The Squeezebox is complementary to > Wireless DJ. DJ is for people who don't have a network or don't wnat to > mess with it. It only allows streaming from the PC (and some more > limited capabilities). SB is for more serious music lovers, more > comfortable with their network, offering of wider set of features and > functionality. Thanks Junien. As long as these distinctions are made, I don't see that Slim Devices and Logitech are incompatible as a whole. Like some others in this thread, I did not previously consider Logitech for serious audio. However it seems that Logitech wants to change, and it seems you realize that Slim Devices had some good experience in this area. -- Mark Lanctot Mark Lanctot's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2071 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
My Logitech mouse is so damn good I'd consider any product Logitech makes with an open mind. To me they are an innovative company that produces quality products. I couldn't care less about audiophile cred. I don't show off my audio gear as a way of impressing others. I do show off how my system sounds, however. My biggest concern is that the Squeezebox and Transporter continue to be developed with audiophiles in mind. It doesn't cost much more to make a product that sounds great, and if there's any credibility issue at all, a great-sounding product at a good price will take the audio world by storm any day. Just witness the SB2/SB3. -- JohnnyLightOn JohnnyLightOn's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=28 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
I'm a fan of Logitech actually. I use their G15 keyboard, mouse, and speakers. I'm looking at the Harmony as a remote for my SB2, and I think that this move will eventually help with the integration of some of these peripherals into how we all use SB's. I too have never associated them with upscale audio, but if they intend to keep Slim Devices acting as an independent business unit, I think the synergies are compelling. It would be nice to see the Squeezebox and Transporter really hit the mainstream audio! Kook -- ob_kook ob_kook's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=1383 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
ob_kook;147523 Wrote: > I'm a fan of Logitech actually. I use their G15 keyboard, mouse, and > speakers. I'm looking at the Harmony as a remote for my SB2, and I > think that this move will eventually help with the integration of some > of these peripherals into how we all use SB's. > > I too have never associated them with upscale audio, but if they intend > to keep Slim Devices acting as an independent business unit, I think the > synergies are compelling. It would be nice to see the Squeezebox and > Transporter really hit the mainstream audio! > > Kook The Transporter is not going to be hitting mainstream audio. I am looking at the Logitech website, and viewing a page for the Wireless DJ. It does not appear to play FLAC. Does it play any kind of lossless format? Nothing is listed for S/N, etc. Yet, earlier in this thread, the Logitech svp described it as a product that is for consumers who want no compromises. Well - there are compromises there - obviously. This is the background of a mass-market oriented company such as Logitech. They have to make many compromises every day - they have no choice. Think of the number of mass-market oriented companies also making truely high-end audio products? Can't think of many. I seriously doubt the Transporter has a future against that stage, but we shall see. -Ron -- Ron F. Ron F.'s Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=5616 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Ron F.;147525 Wrote: > I am looking at the Logitech website, and viewing a page for the > Wireless DJ. It does not appear to play FLAC. Does it play any kind of > lossless format? Nothing is listed for S/N, etc. It is a bit ambiguous: From: http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/US/EN,CRID=2653,CONTENTID=11828#Specifications > Plays any format your PC can play: > * MP3 & WMA > * iTunes® (AAC) > * Internet Radio My PC can play FLAC, OGG, WAV etc... will it play those? The devil is in the details, and details is what SD consumers like. As for the acquisition, I think this will be a good thing in the end as long as SD can maintain control of their product and direction. Greater integration with relevant products like the Harmony 1000 will be a Good Thing(tm). Cheers. -- shabbs [shabbs] *MP3s:* 67.2 GB / 9,653 songs and growing! | *MP3 ripper:* 'EAC' (http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/) 0.95b4 [secure] w/ 'Lame' (http://www.rarewares.org/mp3.html) v3.97 [-V 0] *Audio:* 'SB1, SB3' (http://www.slimdevices.com/pi_squeezebox.html) | *Storage:* 'Linksys NSLU2' (http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1118334819312&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper), 'WDG1U5000 500GB External USB Drive' (http://www.westerndigital.com/en/products/products.asp?driveid=232&language=en) shabbs's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=6016 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Oh, no. Must get my Transporter fast, before they change the logo. It is going to be a classic Congratulations to Sean. I've been watching your work since Slimp3 was first mentioned on slashdot. Your story gave me hope that a talented individual can still achieve something great in this corporate dominated world. I am glad that SlimDevices have proven to be successful. On the other hand, today is a sad day for many of your fans. It is an end of the era. Good luck for the future. Corporate America is focused on maximizing profits. Build your product as cheaply as possible. Sell as much as possible. Ignore your customers as much as the laws allow you to. SlimDevices approach was so different, that is it almost unimaginable to be preserved in the future. Will I be able to add new features to my SB2 by simply refreshing the firmware with no extra cost? I would expect a corporation to push SB4 on me instead of offering free upgrade of my SB2. We will see... -- shvejk shvejk's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=1337 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Regardless of the long term impact, the fact that Slimdevices posted the announcment here prior to making a general announcement is significant in my opinion. I do believe it demonstrates the amount of respect they have for their customers, their user community, to do this rather than simply making a joint press release with Logitech. Thanks. -- wat wat's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=5283 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
wat;147533 Wrote: > Regardless of the long term impact, the fact that Slimdevices posted the > announcment here prior to making a general announcement is significant > in my opinion. I do believe it demonstrates the amount of respect they > have for their customers, their user community, to do this rather than > simply making a joint press release with Logitech. I noticed that, too. And I appreciate Junien's candor and plain-speaking. -- snarlydwarf snarlydwarf's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=1179 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
As a happy Logitech stockholder (130% increase), I think Slim Devices is a great acquisition. I was an early buyer of your SliMP3 player, and apart from a couple of poor server releases, I've been very satisfied with what you've produced. Maybe I'll cash in some gains and buy a Transporter... Good luck! Brad -- shriekback shriekback's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=8048 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Oy. The beginning of the end. What a profound shame. autopilot;147430 Wrote: > I can't blame you for doing this, but i too am very worried. > > So please now please dispense with the vague PR speak, and please be as > up front and honest as you can - how is this actually going to work? > Obviously you've not been through a corporate acquisition before. As a C-level exec who has been, more than once, I can tell you from direct personal experience you will not get candid answers from someone with "SVP" in his title. Folks: if you think good things are going to result from this rather odd marriage, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn I'm selling Krell buys Slim? Sure, believable. But Logitech? C'mon, may as well be Hasbro. Congrats Sean & Co. I hope you enjoy your new mansions and Porsches. -- joncourage joncourage's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Here's the official Press Release: http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/061018/20061018006053.html?.v=1 Seems to me for all intents and purposes to have been made public around the same time as Sean's original post here. Not exactly like the Forum got some great advance scoop (and that probably wouldn't even be legal since Logi is publicly traded). -- joncourage joncourage's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Wow. Shocking to say the least. Then again, if we can get individual units for $199 or less as a reseller then I'm on it. Just please keep things as they are with SlimDevices and don't try to customize or cheapen it with a crappy LCD or proprietary software. I know this has been covered already but every voice that's heard will only enforce the idea. Open development drives product adoption. So, where is that Logitech mouse software for linux eh? Just kidding. Bon chance to all involved (including us users!) -- notanatheist notanatheist's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2642 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
I am a new member to this forum. I have had my Squeezebox3 for only one week. I did a lot of research before finding a product that was open source, high quality, and also has a wonderful user forum and WIKI. After recieving my Squeezebox, I couldn't believe how great it sounds and looks... I was really happy to find a company,which from my reading in this forum, appeared to care about a quality product and serving their customers. Most large companies only care about the bottom line... not customer service...I hope that Slim Devices can maintain some control over their quality and customer service. Best of luck... -- paul830 paul830's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7750 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Congratulations to Slim Devices on its latest success. I hope that the partnership with Logitech allows Slim Devices to reach more households! -- tygar tygar's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=29 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Congratulations. I've been a fan of SlimDevices for a long while (since way before I was a customer); now I hope you can create the same enthusiasm in a much broader audience. And good luck! Don't let the suits in! :-) -- inguz inguz's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=1139 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Well, I'm saddened. Once the MBAs, lawyers, and accountants get ahold of Slim, things will change. Good bye hackable hardware - someone might zap themselves and sue. Good bye over-engineered/quality components - If we change to this DAC and reduce the cost by $X while reducing the retail price by $Y, research shows we'll reach Z more customers and make MORE MONEY!!! (And legally, we MUST do that for the shareholders.) Good bye close correspondence with the top guys - EVERYTHING has to go through legal, or we might violate some SEC rule about insider info. Sorry, but a publicly traded company is a beast unto itself. The rules change. True, the Slim guys will probably make a fortune. And they'll probably be able to release some cool new products that they couldn't pull off before. But the soul will be gone. Please feel free to prove me wrong. - Jasen. -- jasenj1 jasenj1's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=3466 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Please just keep FLAC and high quality sound/DAC. that is all that I ask. -- nbrown nbrown's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=8049 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Too late, Sean already has a Porsche. -- Dan Sully Dan Sully's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=1 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
radish;147454 Wrote: > my Harmony 880 STILL won't charge properly because of a faulty cradle, > and support are pretty horrible to deal with) but we'll see. The 880 cradle problem has been fixed. Harmony should be happy to send you a new improved one. They sent me 2 new cradles and a new rechargable battery. -- Pale Blue Ego Pale Blue Ego's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=110 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Congrats to the Slim team!! Well, only time will tell what will happen. Will Sean stick with Logitech over the long haul, which is easy to say "yes" to now. However, the soul and excitement of creating and fostering a successful startup becomes lost in sea of politics, budgets and profit margins, and differences in philosophies. What made SD successful was and is it's people and culture. Often times that is what is lost during an M&A, nothing will probably change for the first 12 months. Then frustration sets in around 18 to 24 months from now, the thought leaders at SD will leave to find more lucrative and newer opportunities. The Slim brand loses it's simple undeterred focus and becomes lost in diversification and blurred product lines and focus on glitzy features over sound quality. Hopefully I'm wrong, dead wrong, but as someone who worked through a small startup and then got acquired by 16,000 person software workhorse, there are constantly talks about the good 'ol days. Glenn -- shokunin shokunin's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=6622 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
The way I see it, Slim has a great product line ready for mass market adoption. By not taking advantage of that product being one of the best out there and becoming the iPod of network music players, it just becomes a matter of time before Apple or some Chinese/Taiwanese producer brings out a clone that cleans up in the market place. 1) Logitech gives Slim the marketings and distribution to get there product into thousands of stores world-wide and gives them a chance of mass-market adoption. 2) They also give them the financial muscle to perhaps try some riskier products that perhaps there wasn't the cashflow to attempt. 3) Perhaps Slim will also gain access to some DRM licenses that weren't financially viable for Slim at their current size. That could enable more functionality in the existing product line. Now, will the Slim be able to stay as responsive to the community when they have 10x the customer base? Only time will tell. I hope so. Best of luck guys, enjoy the Porsche(s) and keep up the good work. -- oreillymj oreillymj's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=699 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
funkstar;147440 Wrote: > When i saw this thread i had to make sure it wasn't April 1st. Funny. That was my first thought too. Damn! Did I manage to sleep through the entire winter? -- Michaelwagner Michaelwagner's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=428 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
I am very happy for Slimdevices and the excellent team there. I am a proud owner of 2 SBa, and I have bought 3 more for friends and family. The product, the company and it's attitude towards customers, users etc has been exemplary. All my interactions - whether it is buying SBs, a spare power cable, or downloading and using slimserver have been happy ones. I hope, like everyone else on this forum, that the purchase by Logitech will not kill the free spirit of this company. I love the sound and the quality construction of the SBs, but what initially attracted me was the openness of the platform, and the warm embrace of the developer and user communities. Sean and team: I hope you all make out well. I also hope they don't kill your excellent product or morph it into some poor "mass market compromise". -- SundarNagarajan 2 Squeezeboxes - 1 SB2, SB3 Harman Kardon AV7300 Receiver Harman Kardon DPR2005 Receiver Martin Logan Montage SundarNagarajan's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=8051 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
joncourage;147544 Wrote: > Here's the official Press Release: > > http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/061018/20061018006053.html?.v=1 > > Seems to me for all intents and purposes to have been made public > around the same time as Sean's original post here. Sean was 2 hours earlier, if I have my time zone arithmetic right. -- Michaelwagner Michaelwagner's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=428 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
My experience with Logitech products has been good AND bad.. Bought the original Cyberman and Cyberman 2 for 3D gaming (Descent) and they both were quite expensive and horrible build quality. Logitech would not stand by either of these products which left me with a very bad taste in my mouth. I swore off Logitech products for awhile until I got a cordless MX Laser mouse and webcam for my birthday. My initial reaction when i opened them was, "oh no.. Logitech CRAP", but both have been great. I'll keep my fingers crossed on what happens to Slim Devices. :-) Tom -- TomDac TomDac's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=6657 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Thoughts: I don't blame anyone for cashing in. They've worked hard and deserve to be rewarded. But only $20 million for the world's leading player in a rapidly emerging field? Where are the guys who negotioted the YouTube deal when ya need 'em? Maybe Slim believed they would be steamrolled by the many mainstream offerings that will certainly emerge in this category. Better to *become* a mainstream offering, I guess. But I don't really think that the SB3 build quality needs improving and the current price is certainly reasonable. With Logitech's manufacturing, marketing, distribution, and the resulting economics of scale, there's no reason why the SB couldn't sell for $199 - but their SVP has already indicated that they don't want to crowd out their existing product at that price point, so I wouldn't look for any price improvement (and probably no $100 off 2 deals either)! And certainly no pony! The biggest thing this deal will accomplish is to put Squeezeboxes on the shelves of major retailers and multiply the customer base. Make room in the Beginners forum for a flood of new users. But I fear the soul of Slim Devices will be lost. This company was a huge anomaly in a world of bean counters and bottom-lines. They tirelessly worked to add value to every device, even years after it was sold. Can that continue in a large corporate environment? When less than 1% of their customers use Linux, will they be abandoned? Will Logitech cave to RIAA pressure and decide that MP3 *is* a crime? We shall see. It's not all gloom and doom, though. I'm pretty sure we'll see a lot of the stuff we've been asking for - better remotes, maybe a boombox, slicker interfaces, etc. Nothing stays the same. We'll take the good with the bad. And someday when there's a SB7 in every home, that garage-built SliMP3 player will bring me $4000 on eBay. -- Pale Blue Ego Pale Blue Ego's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=110 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Most people dont like the idea of a small independant company with a good track record being taken over by a large multi-national; always fearing (often rightly) that product quality, support takes a nose dive. This may happen even now - we can hope not and that certainly over the next year or so hope that the support / intervention in the design process is not too severe. In the long run it would be good to have devices which can be modified using a relatively open hardware platform - and that Slim-Logitech-Devices allow this to occur. One possability would be to use modular designs - if they downgrade the DAQ chip / circuit then use a standard layout so that others can easily interchange the circuit - e.g. something like a small mini-pci type / memory connector to bridge to a new board. Similarly I would hope SLD were open to listing basic product specifications. Often it is the user community which can find, spot and possibly fix a bug / fault before a large corporate group can. Perhaps there could be a mass market for a SB-Lite; SB-Pro; Transporter. In the meantime I hope that the SB / Transporter range continues unchanged and reliable. -- roamingstudio roamingstudio's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=6923 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
SteveEast;147456 Wrote: > So I bought a Harmony remote and Logitech bought Harmony. Then I buy a > Slim Devices SB and Logitech buy SD. OK, I'm gonna buy a wood chipper > this weekend - let's see Logitech buy Yard Machines. > > Steve. Got up this morn and had to do a doubletake, as I ordered an 885 remote on Tuesday! Spooky. R -- Robster So much music, so little time.. - http://www.myspace.com/hifinut Robster's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2129 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
And to think that I just bought a Logitech 880 last week to enhance my SB experience I've used Logitech mice for years - they are great products. Sorry, but I just can't get enthused about "Logitech high-end audio" gear. Don't get me wrong, I'm always Mr Glass Half Full Optimist - I just hate to think that something will have to be sacrificed in order to gain mass-market appeal, be it audio quality, build quality, etc. I'm sure with their economy of scale, Logitech can make the products cheaper - hopefully not make them cheap. I wish the Slim Devices crew all the best and hope that we can see some great new products coming soon. -- cashman cashman's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2585 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Hi, What are the plans for continued linux support? Logitech doesn't appear to support use of it's devices under linux at all - is this set to change? Ed -- ehjones ehjones's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=5218 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
ehjones;147587 Wrote: > Hi, > What are the plans for continued linux support? > That is the plan. It is a small effort since our software is fundamentally platform independent anyway, and NAS support is also an important and growing part of our business. Oh, and SqueezeNetwork runs on Linux. :) > > Logitech doesn't appear to support use of it's devices under linux at > all - is this set to change? > Don't expect linux drivers for mice and keyboards to come from Slim, but yes, this does mean that one division of Logitech will be supporting Linux. -- seanadams seanadams's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=3 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Congratulations, Sean & team - I'm on my 4th SD device and have recommended to many others - only recently retired the SLiMP3 - together with my tivo, these are the best range of electronic devices that I've ever had the pleasure of owning, and hope the research and development continues to push the envelope. -- gocam gocam's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=381 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
I think it was inevitable, a small company like SlimDevices wouldn't be able to compete as larger companies would have basically copied the SB and made it cheaper sooner rather than later. So an acquisition by Logitech, whereas everyone has concerns over small innovative company swallowed up by large corporation, it probably is the best way to keep SlimDevices products competitive. I wonder if the SB will be rebranded? The snob in me would rather have a SlimDevices product on my hifi rack than a Logitech. -- Seineseeker Seineseeker's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=4591 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
junien;147441 Wrote: > Actually I am not sure I see a dicotomy between tech-led development and > user-friendliness. In fact I was personally impressed about the ease of > installation and of use of my Squeezebox. The user interface of the > Slim Server could probably become more consumer oriented. Yet this is > not a priority. > I appreciate your answer, but you've kind of shown your hand there a bit - it's usually Sean who says what the priority is ;-) Apologies, I'm a bit too sharp sometimes, I'm sure that wasn't the meaning of your post! But it does raise a point, the UI is an issue for a lot of people. I suppose the answer is a fancy new remote - it's something I wanted, so I can't complain. I was referring to the fact that as a tech-led development, consideration for non-technical users can be a low priority (and I didn't say it is in this case) since it is a community driven development for that community of technical people. To get that 10x user base happy and contented, you're going to have to start making design and marketing decisions about the product and request that the community follow them. If I were Logitech and examining the complete cost base for extending the product market size, then support has to be measured and relying on the free time of enthusiasts isn't really going to cut the mustard. junien;147441 Wrote: > We are much more interested in extending the current technology to new > hardware products and new markets. > With more users, the cracks in SlimServer will show more. I hope the community here is feeling up to the job. Believe me, once the average Joe gets hold of this and starts asking where he plugs it into his computer, this forum will get a taste of the future. junien;147441 Wrote: > I also hope that the open source community will continue to be motivated > in making the products stronger and more versatile. > That depends - at the moment they are developing for a community of generally polite fellow enthusiasts who love the product because it is hackable. When that changes as SlimServer is used with numerous other products and the user base extends to 10 times what it is today and comments on the groups change from "I'm having a few problems" to "the pos software won't work", that willingness to contribute may change. Hey, I'm probably wrong, but as I said I'm a cynical b*sta*d - unfortunately that's usually the correct stance when it comes to corporate life. I've watched and been involved in acquisitions several times. The usual timetable is that the founders leave as soon as the financial handcuffs come off (earn-outs, restricted stock selling etc.), key staff go somewhere else where the small compoany spirit still exists (or where there is equity to be had), the proposed new products get shelved (testing new price points == we'll kill it if it doesn't sell) and the original customers who enjoyed the kudos of owning the audiophile product go elsewhere. I'd buy a Slim Transporter, not sure I'd buy a Logitech one. Yes, that's dumb if it's the same product inside, but HiFi snobbery is a critical aspect of the market. -- CardinalFang You're only young once, but you can be immature forever... CardinalFang's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=962 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Sean You mentioned NAS support - well it would seem a logical development to have a NAS branded device (even with the recent tie-ups). If you / logitech / infrant do end up on the NAS route please *please* PLEASE do not lock the system down and allow it to be configurable. Decent NAS blocks which are quiet, low power usage and slim (e.g. Synology / QNAP) are the ideal future - unless you manage to make a transporter clone with inbuilt copper pipes for passive HDD cooling. Now that would be nice! (it is also a mini project of mine). -- roamingstudio roamingstudio's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=6923 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
> I've watched and been involved in acquisitions several times. The usual > timetable is that the founders leave as soon as the financial handcuffs > come off (earn-outs, restricted stock selling etc.), key staff go > somewhere else where the small compoany spirit still exists (or where > there is equity to be had), the proposed new products get shelved > (testing new price points == we'll kill it if it doesn't sell) and the > original customers who enjoyed the kudos of owning the audiophile > product go elsewhere. Seems to me that only happens in companies who don't love what they make. I get the totally opposite impression from SD. -- flattop100 flattop100's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7760 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
junien;147410 Wrote: > Let me introduce myself. My name is Junien Labrousse, Logitech SVP of > the Entertainment and Communication Business Unit. > The first thing I'll say is that we are very excited about the > opportunity that Slim Devices will bring to Logitech. This is > a great extension of our current business. Let me assure you that one > of the main reasons for this acquisition is the development > capabilities of the Slim Devices team. The technical level of this > group is a key asset that we fully intend to leverage. The Slim Devices > entity will function independently, keeping the spirit of advance audio > technology and strong product innovation. > > Logitech will bring its global distribution and marketing capabilities, > providing a jump start to a large visibility and adoption of Slim > Devices products. > > Junien Junien, Welcome to our world! Congratulations on selecting a great acquisition target. You have acquired a great team with strong design and development skills. I am sure that your marketing and distribution skills will assist in extending the addressable market of the Squeezebox. Unlike some of the people here I think that Logitech is a good match. Sure the Logitech will move into new terrain in some senses but in others it has long been associated with quality premium products. My MX700 was reasonably expensive for a mouse when I bought it (just after launch) and was by far the most expensive mouse I had ever bought. Why did I buy it? Because it was the best and a quality product, with excellent build standards. Very similar to the reasons why I bought my SB3. Sean et al, A good move and I hope you grasp this opportunity to acheive greatness. I personally had worried that the old smaller Slim Devices would struggle to grow in the face of increasing competition from Apple etc and would end up limited to a niche market. I now think that there is every reason why the squeezebox can become the leading brand in digital home audio. On a personal note, I like most other people here am very attached to the Squeezebox and may find future brand changes difficult, however if it brings a healthy future to SlimDevices, it's people and products then I for one am very pleased. Regards, Fairy -- fairyliquidizer "O wad some Power the giftie gie us To see oursels as ithers see us! It wad frae monie a blunder free us, An' foolish notion." -Robert Burns- fairyliquidizer's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=3678 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Dear Sean and Julien, I sincerely hope and ask you will find opportunity to answer this one question: What will happen to openness in regard to platforms and data formats? I use BSD and keep all my music in FLAC. Concisely put, this is a principled conscientious choice. I would be very sad to see support for these freedoms go. Please tell me that Slimdevices will continue to support open formats and free platforms. Please? -- KlaymenDK - 010\001\111 - KlaymenDK's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=4538 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Dear Sean and Junien, I sincerely hope and ask you will find opportunity to answer this one question: -What will happen to openness in regard to platforms and data formats?- I use BSD and keep all my music in FLAC. Concisely put, this is a principled conscientious choice. I would be very sad to see support for these freedoms go. Please tell me that Slimdevices will continue to support open formats and free platforms. Please? -- KlaymenDK - 010\001\111 - KlaymenDK's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=4538 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
junien;147410 Wrote: > Let me introduce myself. My name is Junien Labrousse, Logitech SVP of > the Entertainment and Communication Business Unit.Dear Junien, if you treat > them well you'll be rewarded by a very loyal community of early adopters, opinion leaders and trend setters. I'm personally very happy for this news. I would have hated to see SD reach the same "end" that Rio reached, and in a competitive market, in the long run, you need big shoulders to survive. Since I have you here Junien, maybe you'll read this: why, why, why don't Harmony remotes allow users to reorder commands on the LCD at will... it's the only grain of sand in an otherwise supremely well oiled mechanism. And... given your expertise with Harmony... can we expect a Sonos like remote in the future for our Squeezeboxes? :) -- gorman gorman's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=56 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
I'm likewise in the "congrats" camp. Sean and the team at SD, as well as all those other contributors from the developers forum have done a fantastic job and developed a great product in the Squeezebox. But I'm not surprised that SD has decided to come under the umbrella of a larger organisation in order to take it to the next stage. The fact it was announced here first and immediately followed by some posts from Logitech shows that everyone is sensitive to this community's likely reaction. The big issue for me is how SD can continue to harness this vibrant and quite unique user / developer base to improve the product, whilst making it "user-friendly" enough to move it to mass market. Someone recently suggested the software could split into two - a "it just works" version (mp3, wma only not so many option), and the current ultra configurable version. I hope that the deal with Logitech takes account of the things that are likely to be most important to the community developer group - open-source, cross-platform, multiple format support being the three that come to my mind. In the time I've spent on the boards, my impression is that they can act as a crucial "sense check" on new product features and code. Without knowing any of the details, I suspect that SD could have been sold for more if the product line had simply been handed over and the software closed off (or at least the current software no longer supported and new, closed source software subsequently implemented), and so I'm hopeful that this is the beginning of just another chapter. -- Siduhe Siduhe's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=723 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
seanadams;147487 Wrote: > Their press release has not gone out yet - I wanted us to announce it > here first.This deserves a separate thank you. I've personally been involved > in a corporate acquisition and giving info the go on an internet forum speaks volumes about your dedication to customers. Thank you Sean. -- gorman gorman's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=56 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Hi, Speaking as a Windows desktop user and Logitech purchaser (mouse, keyboard, pc speakers, Harmony) I suppose I should applaud the news, but I do think those with the most concerns will be the open source community who may fear a forking of development and maybe being left with a product with less than full functionality. Best Regards, Doug. -- Dougal Dougal's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=5489 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
flattop100;147616 Wrote: > Seems to me that only happens in companies who don't love what they > make. I get the totally opposite impression from SD. The snappy answer is that they currently enjoy what they do, that may change for the worse or it may get better. Don't forget it isn't strictly SD anymore and no matter how independant they may be, new rules apply from now on. It's up to Logitech to make sure their new acquisition is happy - most of what they've paid for is the people, if they walk, that's a lot of money down the tubes. However, there's nothing like cash in the pocket to give you a more relaxed perspective to life, and in Sean's shoes I'd be looking forwards right now. Whether a few months down the line the team get itchy feet is yet to be seen. I don't want anyone to get me wrong though, I still love the product - as I said a Logitech Transporter doesn't appeal to my hifi snob sensibilities, but perhaps it'll evolve and look even cooler. -- CardinalFang You're only young once, but you can be immature forever... CardinalFang's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=962 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
CardinalFang;147634 Wrote: > as I said a Logitech Transporter doesn't appeal to my hifi snob > sensibilities, but perhaps it'll evolve and look even cooler.Well... you > already said it: you know what's inside. You could mod it to your heart's content and have the greatest player in a totally cool CardinalFang box. ;) -- gorman gorman's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=56 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Re: Continued linux support: seanadams;147594 Wrote: > That is the plan. It is a small effort since our software is > fundamentally platform independent anyway, and NAS support is also an > important and growing part of our business. Oh, and SqueezeNetwork runs > on Linux. :) > > > > Don't expect linux drivers for mice and keyboards to come from Slim, > but yes, this does mean that one division of Logitech will be > supporting Linux. Sounds great :) Along with other comments in this thread, I agree that this was rather inevitable for continued growth of SD. I certainly don't get the feeling that this is a complete sell-out ;) Good luck and whatever will be, will be. And in the meantime enjoy the Hawaiian Island... -- ehjones ehjones's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=5218 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Congratulations to the Slim Devices team, and to Logitech as well. I share the concern of many others about where the new ownership will take the product line, and especially what will happen to its open and cross-platform nature. An earlier favorite gadget of mine, Xircom's Rex 6000 micro-PDA, didn't survive when Intel bought Xircom, but a community grew up to hack, support, and extend that proprietary source project. Obviously this is different, because the Rex6K wasn't Intel's motivation for buying Xircom (just like Logitech didn't acquire SD to get the Slim cleaning cloths, or remotes). So I'm taking a wait and see attitude, although this might push me to get off my butt and buy that 3rd SB that I've been thinking about for several months... -- aubuti aubuti's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2074 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Dan Sully;147560 Wrote: > Too late, Sean already has a Porsche. Can he park it any better than the Merc he had a few years ago? :P -- funkstar funkstar's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2335 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
CardinalFang;147634 Wrote: > ...as I said a Logitech Transporter doesn't appeal to my hifi snob > sensibilities... This is bang on the mark. The high-end audio marketplace is *extremely* badge-sensitive, and the Transporter branded as a Logitech product will not sell, period. What ought to come out of this is that Logitech will sell shedloads of Squeezeboxes, which is a good thing, because it means that the best affordable network player around gets to survive. But the only way the Transporter (or evolution thereof) will stick around is if it retains its Slim Devices branding, or perhaps better still (from a marketing perspective) Logitech cuts an OEM deal with one of the "names" in high-end audio. If Logitech try to sell Transporters with their own badge, they simply won't shift and we'll see this superb cutting edge device get axed. -- cliveb Performers -> dozens of mixers and effects -> clipped/hypercompressed mastering -> you think a few extra ps of jitter matters? cliveb's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=348 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Let's be realistic. When you are in business, there are offers you simply can't refuse. I'm only sorry I don't own SD stock. Congrats to all at SD -- Sir G Sir G's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2489 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
cool, i hope this will let slim get devices into more households... and you can say you were there when it all began! I'll put my slimp3 next to my 1st gen ipod in the trophy cabinet also i hope that this will enable a more consumer-product (as oopose to geek-toy) approach. I'd love to see slim products with the ease of use / setup - and remote! of Sonos... while keeping all the best it has to offer...open software, great plugin architecture...frequent software updates... -- gb115b gb115b's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=1781 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
When I purchased my SB, I immediately started to worry about the viability of SlimDevices. Will they be there forever for me? I worried even more after I fell in love with the product, the service, the forum, even the server software (despite some fits and starts). I work for a company that is positioning itself to be purchased (someday). The American way. Do good work and be rewarded for it. Things have to change at SD. It is inevitable. Corporate will slowly encroach. I want my little company back...I'll take the anxiety. Good for the guys at SD. They deserve it, but we didn't. It is rare to have a product in the marketplace that engenders loyalty and passion. I hope you can sustain that. Neurotically yours -- utowana utowana's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=4204 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Dan Sully;147560 Wrote: > Too late, Sean already has a Porsche. Hopefully it's easier to park than the last one. MC -- ModelCitizen Now what? Squeezebox3 (linear PSU) > Benchmark Dac1 > Naim NAC 82 > Naim NAP 250 > Shahinian Arcs. Plus other irrelevant, superfluous and annoying black boxes. Music catalog: http://modelcitizen.mine.nu/music.txt ModelCitizen's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=446 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
funkstar;147652 Wrote: > Can he park it any better than the Merc he had a few years ago? Low blow! :-) And where was the link to that picture? -- Michaelwagner Michaelwagner's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=428 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
One thing I have to ask ... will the cash infusion mean that a homeplug version might be possible now? And I second the comment about having to being prepared for a bunch of newbies in the beginner forum. -- Michaelwagner Michaelwagner's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=428 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Anyone who has worked in software development knows how expensive it can be, even in open source. One of the problems we have seen already is the lack of proprietary formats and DRM support. This requires licensing, which requires money. Now Slim Devices has some deep pockets behind them to support more of these formats. First thing I can think of is Play For Sure and/or Zun support. Also, I would love to see a sqeezebox video player. Do with video what you do with audio. I have never bought a "media player" because all of the ones I have looked at do not support the audio formats that my slimserver/sqeezebox 2 does. So I say good move guys! I do hope that Logitech remembers why they bought you and also remembers that many buyouts fail because executives forget why they bought a company and then go in and kill those very things that made the old company work! -- interspectrum interspectrum's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=881 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
I think it's definitely too early to tell how this is going to impact the future generations of the SqueezeBox and Transporter lines ... my personal feeling is that they're going to loose some "Street Cred" if/when logitech puts thier big goofy-looking logo on the product. I am quite happy that I bought a pre-logitch device, because I will always have that "known quantity" for as long as it continues to operate. Hopefully it'll last as long as some of the other electronics in my posession ... some on the order of decades. That said, I'm future-proofing myself by keeping copies of old SlimServer versions so I know I'll always have -something- that works with my SB, even if Logitech manages to bumble up the Server software down the line in some capacity or other. I also worry about the future of the SqueezeNetwork ... I don't see that as much of a cash cow ... there's no advertising ... maybe there's some kick-back from Pandora subscriptions ... dunno. I can't see Logitech keeping SqueezeNetwork alive if it is mostly liability with little potential for profit. I predict that SqueezeNetwork will either be scuttled, become a fee-based subscription service, or be riddled with advertising (unless you pay your ransom and subscribe). Fortunately I'm not "addicted" to SqueezeNetwork, and I have my old server software which supports internet radio, and my old hardware that isn't 'locked down' at the firmware level from being able to have the flexibility I now enjoy. I know this is fairly pessimistic view of the future of SlimDevice's product line ... but history shows what happens in cases where a small, innovative, flexible, service-oriented company is taken over by a publicly traded Corp-monster who's primary responsibility is to shareholders, and customers are just money trees to be plucked and groomed only enough that they keep sprouting dollar bills. -- jeffluckett jeffluckett's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=6179 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
I am an old Amiga user - bought the original 1000 when it hit the shelves. Amiga was bought by Commodore. Commodore was no stranger to computers, having been involved with the 6502 development and having brought the PET and the 64 to market. And yet, they didn't understand what they had bought, had less than zero clue how to market it and they totally botched it. I hope Logitech understands what they have bought. -- Michaelwagner Michaelwagner's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=428 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Re: Logitech to acquire Slim Devices!
Paranoid thoughts: If Logitech, who just launched a product in this category, saw Slim as a major threat, then $20 million is a drop in the bucket. If they wanted to kill the SB so it wouldn't compete with their own product, this is a cheap way to do it. -- Pale Blue Ego Pale Blue Ego's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=110 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28821 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
